Merry Christmas – Israel

My post today is very special to me as it will describe a wonderful trip I took a few years ago to Israel.

I always wanted to visit the Holy Land and visit the places Jesus has lived and died. Although I am a catholic, I respect and believe that God is only one irrespective of the religion you choose to follow…

This trip was very magical because I had the opportunity to visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Masada, the dead sea…

Visiting the place where Jesus was born was a mixture of deep emotion and surprise. I learned that Bethlehem, although a Palestinian city, more than 90% of the inhabitants are Christians.

Also, the Church of Nativity that is the land mark of the place where Jesus was born is open every morning and closed every evening by a Muslim who keeps the keys, as the Church has 3 different Christian churches within it, the Roman Catholic, the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Apostolic. I did not take photos of the place due to my deep respect to it. I can say that the energy of the place is indescribable.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also a very intense place, for obvious reasons… Of this place I took some pictures which I share with you…

I tried to walk and do the route of the Via Dolorosa, although Jerusalem has fallen so many times and the reconstruction has not always respected the correct places as previous to the fall….

Jericho is also in the Palestinian territory and access is not very easy. Actually depending on the tension level, Jericho remains closed to the rest of Israel. A couple of pictures to show you this almost inaccessible place…

Today is Christmas day and we should focus on the meaning of Jesus birth. He wished to teach us the meaning of, love, peace, understanding and forgiveness… Merry Christmas to you all!!!